What the World's Top Health Experts Eat for Breakfast

What the World's Top Health Experts Eat for Breakfast

In the world of expert nutrition advice, there is breakfast and then there is everything else. And while we’re cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs science-backed tips, sometimes it’s incredibly helpful to step back from all the studies and ask the pros one simple question: What do YOU eat every morning? So that's exactly what we did.

We've got our healthy breakfast, but here 23 of the world's top health experts share their favorite way to fuel up, from classics like oatmeal, high-protein smoothies, and eggs, to more creative first meals that don't happen until noon.

1. Barry Jay, Co-Founder of Barry’s Bootcamp

In this past year, I've returned to being a vegan. My breakfasts tend to vary, depending on my mood. Typically it’s either oatmeal with natural almond or peanut butter, whole-grain bread with almond butter, or a protein shake consisting of almond milk, PlantFusion protein powder, peanut butter, and banana.

4. Keri Gans, R.D.N., Author of The Small Change Diet

Oatmeal cooked with nonfat milk, topped with chunky natural almond butter and chia seeds. I take my vitamins with 1/4 cup calcium-fortified OJ mixed with around 3/4 cup seltzer. Then I top it all off with a mug of black coffee (half decaf/half caffeinated). I would do total decaf, but I compromise for my husband who needs his caffeine.

5. David Katz, M.D., M.P.H., Director of Yale University Prevention Research Center and Author of Disease Proof

7. Cynthia Sass, R.D., New York Times Best-Selling Author and Sports Nutritionist

My usual go-to breakfast these days is an apple smoothie made of a chopped apple (skin on) blended with unsweetened coconut milk, coconut butter, unsweetened pea protein powder, a handful of fresh spinach, and fresh grated ginger. I also have a tall glass of water with lots of fresh-squeezed lemon added.

8. Marion Nestle, Ph.D., M.P.H., Paulette Goddard Professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University

I’m not a breakfast eater and don’t start eating until when most people start thinking about lunch. I do like to have coffee, but just don’t feel hungry in the early morning. I like to eat when I feel hungry, usually after 11:00 or so. At that point, I go for cereal—cold or hot, with fruit and a little brown sugar.

9. Heidi Kristoffer, Creator of CrossFlowX

Upon waking, I always drink room-temp water with lemon. For breakfast, I make a vegan parfait layered with coconut yogurt, papaya, and homemade granola of oats, millet, raw nuts, coconut, and goji berries. After, I will have warm tea and more water with lemon.

10. Jessica Matthews, Assistant Professor of Health and Exercise Science at Miramar College

My aim is to always get the most "nutrient" bang for the "calorie" buck, and my favorite breakfast is one that is full of color, nutrition, taste, and convenience. I typically start the day off with a cup of rooibos tea, two smoked salmon cigars (sliced Alaskan salmon rolled with cucumber, avocado, tomato, and onion), and a small bowl of cottage cheese with almonds.

12. Anna Kaiser, Founder & CEO of AKT InMotion

I make a super-energizing and empowering smoothie each a.m.: chocolate whey protein, almond butter, raspberries, blueberries, chia seeds, and Alkaline Grasses Powder from the Juicy Naam mixed with some water and ice.

I start my day at 7:30 a.m. with at least 14 ounces of room-temperature water, followed by a shot of beneficial bacteria, then chase it all down with a cappuccino. I make another cappuccino (this time decaf) while I prep breakfast for my husband and I. My go-to daily nourishment is farmers’ market eggs scrambled into an omelet cooked in a generous dose of organic butter. I'll slice an avocado for my omelet while I toast gluten-free bread. I slather my toast with organic whipped cream cheese and strawberry preserves.

Lately, I have also been eating what I call "second breakfast" about two hours after my first breakfast. I am eight months into nursing my daughter, and I find I am extra hungry in the late morning. I mix vanilla bean sheep yogurt with a banana, cocoa powder, and a handful of granola to tide me over until lunch.

14. Neghar Fonooni, Founder of Eat, Lift, & Be Happy and Author of Lean & Lovely: The Total Transformation System

I cook up whole eggs and egg whites, which I eat topped with peach and mango salsa. I am a firm believer in the importance of protein at breakfast. Because we're fasting overnight while we sleep, our body naturally releases sugar into our bloodstream, and so our blood sugar is always slightly higher in the morning. There's no need then to add fuel to fire with even more sugar!

16. Danielle Tafeen Karuna, Founder of Provita and Yoga Expert

I always start my day off with a big glass of room-temperature water to hydrate first. After meditating, I have oatmeal pretty much every day of the week. I make it with water and add low-sugar, wheat-free granola, chia seeds, wild blueberries, and a scoop of cashew or almond butter. My husband always makes me a cup of coffee in the morning, but I drink it after I eat, so I usually take it to go with foamed coconut-almond milk and a bit of Truvia.

I keep sliced whole-grain bread from a local bakery in the freezer. On busy mornings I toast it and spread with peanut butter or top with a scrambled egg, cheese, and sliced tomato. On the weekends, I turn it into French toast. It's a simple, healthy ingredient that's so versatile.

19. Gabrielle Bernstein, New York Times Best-Selling Author and Life Coach

20. Ellie Krieger, R.D., New York Times Best-Selling Author and Host of Food Network's Healthy Appetite

Overnight oats in a jar: I mix yogurt, milk, oats, vanilla, cinnamon, and honey, then stir in some quartered grapes and almonds, and put it in jars to sit in the fridge overnight. By morning the oats have softened and absorbed all the great flavors, and it becomes like a pudding studded with sweet juicy bites of grapes and crunchy almonds.

21. Adam Bornstein, New York Times Best-Selling Author and Founder of Born Fitness

My breakfast starts later than most. I enjoy intermittent fasting, which means breakfast usually happens around noon. At that time, I'm feasting on an egg scramble with broccoli, spinach, peppers, and chicken sausage topped with sriracha. If it's a training day, I'll have a side of fruit salad or cream of rice mixed with almond butter and protein powder.

My mornings are so hectic that my go-to breakfasts are usually fast and fuss-free. One of my favorites is low-fat, plain Greek yogurt topped with one of my Nourish Snacks, like Coconuts for You (coconut chia-oat clusters), Cocoa Loco (dark chocolate chia-oat clusters), or Granny’s Apple Pie (cinnamon-spiced apples and walnuts).